The Interscholastic Concours!
by Furuba99SSBB
Summary: Everyone's moved up a year--Yunoki and Hihara are off at college; the rest of the gang is still at Seisou. Kaji comes later. I, Natsumi Haruko, am a new student that comes to Seisou. And this year's the first interscholastic concours! 1st LCD fanfic.


_Author's Note: This is my very first La Corda FanFic, so please keep that in mind if you review this. It's one of my favorite manga series ever!!__ I hope I did not do too much of a pathetic job on this. _ I apologize in advance._

**_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the La Corda D'Oro characters, mentioned or otherwise, except my own character. I also do not own La Corda D'Oro; Yuki Kure does. However, I do own my musical knowledge and my violin, clarinet, and piano. :)_**

*

I stood just outside Seisou Music Academy with my violin and clarinet cases, staring at the fairy statue in the center of the courtyard. Then I sighed, thinking, _Well, there's no turning back now. It was my choice to come here, after all._ I turned and headed straight to my locker, somehow navigating my way through the maze of hallways. I'd just set down my instrument cases to open my locker when someone casually kicked my violin case over.

"Oops...hehe. Sorry about that."

I turned to see that annoying Yunoki Guard cult leader I'd seen so much of in the 1st manga book of _La Corda D'Oro_ and rolled my eyes. Carefully holding both cases in one hand, I opened my locker with the other, turning away from that complete idiot. "What do you want, Yunoki Guard leader?" My voice was harsh and cold as I continued, "That case you just purposely kicked down? The violin it protects cost my family over 1000 US dollars. But of course, you don't care about others' feelings, do you?" I turned back towards her.

My glare must have been pretty intense, because she started stuttering when she spoke again. "Th-th-th-that's n-n-n-not t-t-tr-tr-true! I...I care v-v-v-very much about o-o-o-oth-others."

Somehow managing to gently fit both my cases in my locker along with all my books while I was turned towards this arrogant young woman, I said, "Then can you please let me go to class now? I'm already late."

"Yes, yes...of course. _Anything_ for the new student." She smirked when she thought I couldn't see it, then bowed and walked away.

_So her nervous tittering was just an act, _I thought, slamming my locker shut as I headed to English.

"Hey! It's the new student!" someone called from the back of the class. I saw that it was Mio-san. Sitting next to her were Nao-san and Hino-san.

Immediately, everyone started crowding around me. "What's your name?" "Where'd you move from?" and "Hey, do you play an instrument like Hino-san?" _All these questions...I'm a little overwhelmed!_

"Guys, let her breathe." It was Kishida-sensei. She smiled warmly at me and brought me to the front of the class. "Now, why don't you introduce yourself to the rest of 3-2?"

"OK...I'm Natsumi Haruko. I moved from America, and I play three instruments: violin, clarinet, and piano. I also sing occasionally. But...I'd rather do PE than sit in stuffy classrooms all day," I added, smiling at the cheers from the class, "so I decided to do General Education instead of the Music School enrollment. I hope I don't cause you too much trouble here at Seisou." I bowed and sat down in the single empty desk at the very back of the classroom, next to Hino-san.

"Hi, Haruko-san. Since you moved from America..._please help me with this subject!!_ I'm about to die here," she whispered to me, already sweating and shivering from nervousness.

_Remember, you're not supposed to know her name._ "Uh, OK...may I ask what your name is first?"

"Oh, of course. I'm Hino Kahoko, and these are my two best friends, Mio and Nao."

"Yeah...I can definitely help you, Hino-san. English is one of my best subjects."

For the rest of class, I secretly helped Hino-san while Kishida-sensei taught unsuspectingly. When the bells rang, I asked, "So did that help you, Hino-san?"

"Yes!" she replied happily. Then she frowned. "Of course, we change seating arrangements weekly, so...I guess you're not gonna be able to help me anymore, since today's Saturday."

"Well, I'm glad I got to help you out, even if it was just for one day," I said. "If you'll excuse me..." I left the class, headed for my locker.

When I got there, I saw a blue-haired, cold-eyed third year standing right in front of my locker. He noticed me and asked, "Are you Haruko-san?" I nodded and he sighed, handing me a bright green leaflet. "Kanazawa-sensei asked me to give this to you. It's..." he hesitated for the tiniest moment before going on. "It's about the concours. Apparently they're having them this year too."

_Why would Kanazawa-sensei ask him to take this to me? How'd they know I play more than one musical instrument? _My thoughts whirled around, then I shook my head, putting them out of the way for the moment.

"OK, I understand. Thanks for taking the time to come all the way over here." I paused and, as he turned to leave, I muttered, "Tsukimori-kun."

"What?" he was extremely surprised. "How...how did you know my name?"

"Oh, a bird came and whispered it in my ear," I answered, hiding a _La Corda D'Oro_ book behind my back.

"Is that so...?" Tsukimori-kun trailed off as he saw a lanky green-haired teen I immediately recognized as Tsuchuira-kun coming down the hallway.

"Ah, it's the new transfer student!" he said excitedly.

"Huh...?" I was seriously confused. "Wait. How did you know that--?"

"Kanazawa-sensei looked over your application form to this school and...eh, let's just say everyone immediately realized that another concours should take place, with you competing alongside us. So, what d'you say?"

"Well, I don't really know _your _name..." _That's a rotten lie, _I thought as he cleared his throat, embarrassed.

"Yeah. It's Tsuchuira Ryoutarou." We shook hands, after which was an uncomfortable silence.

"Oh. I...uh, I guess I'll do it, Tsuchuira...-kun. But just what kind of concours _is_ this, anyway?"

"It's interscholastic this year, meaning that Seisou will be competing against other schools all over Japan!" Hino-san remarked brightly, appearing behind me out of nowhere. I jumped in surprise.

"Oh, hi, Hino," Tsuchuira-kun greeted her as Tsukimori-kun sighed and turned away.

"Perfect job explaining, Hino," a voice I recognized as Kanazawa-sensei's said behind me. I whirled around, thinking, _Why is everyone gathering around here all of a sudden?!!_

"Um...hello. Are you Kanazawa-sensei?" I asked, seeing Shimizu-kun and Fuyuumi-san walking down the hallway towards me.

"Eh? What a gathering in this abandoned corner of the school!" Amou-san exclaimed, notebook and camera in hand, also having materialized out of thin air. Noticing me, she instantly perked up. "Ah, yes, the newest member of the Seisou Music Academy Interscholastic Concours Team!! I can't believe it!" She snapped several photos of the whole group.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Miss New Student everyone's already wooing over," that idiotic Yunoki Guard leader's smooth voice remarked coolly.

"Excuse me," I said angrily. She was short for a third year; I already towered at least half a foot over her. "In case you didn't know yet, it's Natsumi Haruko, not Miss New Student." I jabbed my finger in her face. "You may have tormented poor Hino-san last year, but you're not doin' it to me. Got it? Or is the Yunoki Guard leader so ignorant that she can't understand the words spilling out of my mouth right now?" I snarled.

"Hey, Haruko-chan! What are you doing?" I froze. Surely...surely it wasn't...

"Yuri-chan!!" I squealed, giving my best friend from back in Colorado a quick bear hug.

"What? Miss New Student actually has a friend?" the majorly-annoying girl shouted over the instant chaos and confusion.

* * *

_Anyway--how'd you like it?! Please! I wanna know!_

_This series may or may not turn into something romantic. But whatever genre it turns out to be, I'll love it and have fun! :D See ya later._


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